Thread guide



Sept. 16, 1952 E H, SCQTT' 2,610,494

' THREAD GUIDE I Filed March 12, 1951 9 5 m m N a j H a .2 o m 3 a m p a9 J 9 v .V/A 1 E 1 g m g ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 16, 1952 UNITED STATE s1 PATENT oer-ice f THREADL GUDJE A Earnest Scott, Burlington, N. 0.Application March 12,1951, Serial No. 215,090

This invention relates to circular knitting machines andmoreparticularly to an improved threaded guide in combination with yarnbobbins andyarn feeding mechanisms of such machines.

While the invention is applicable 'to other types of knitting machines,it is particularly suited to a knitting machine wherein a pluralityClaims. (o1. 66-435) of thread or yarn supply bobbins are mounted aboutthe outer peripheral portion of "a rotatable stand. In machines 'ofjthistype, the thread or yarn bobbin is of generally elongated cylindricalshape andi a large j number (usually eighteen, more or less) 1 ofbobbins, are vertically mounted on the rotatable stand in rather closeproximity to each other When'the machine is in opera" tion, the stand,and hence the bobbins mounted thereon, rotates at high speed. -'Thethreador yarn on each of the bobbins is continuously being fed totheknitting needles through suitable tensioning devices, -yarn feedassemblies, etc. The tensioning devices are usually mounted above and invertical alignment with the bobbin stand and rotate therewith, It hasbeen a long andiserious problem in the above type of knitting machine topreventthe yarn of'one bobbin from becoming entangled and twisted withthe yarn of an adjacent bobbin. When the bobbin stand tion will beapparent with reference to, the following'specificationj and drawings in"which: 7

Fig. 1 is a view partly :in elevation and partly in section'of a portionof the head of a" circular knittingl'machine equipped with the threadguide of this invention; and" j Fig. 2 is an underside plan view of thethread guide of this invention. a 3

The invention is shown embodied in the well known Scott and Williamsseamless hosiery knitting machine, such as for instance that shown and.described in the, patent to Robert W;

i Scott, No. 1,152,580, issued September 7,.1'915, and thepatents to A.E. Page, Nos. 1,853,029 and andtensioning devices are rotated at highspeeds,

centrifugal force causes the yarn to bow outwardlylbetween the bobbins"and the tensiom'ng de-' vices. If the bowing of the yarns is greatenough, thebowed yarn having one bobbin to itstensioning device willcontact an adjacent bobbin and/or the yarn being drawn from suchadjacent bobbin; When this occurs, the whipping and bowing of the yarnsare frequently suflicient to cause entanglement of adjacent yarns tosuch extent that the yarns will break at some point between the ibobbins and' the tensioning devices.--:Ofcourse, when breakage of "theyarn occurs, it is necessary to shut the machine down, untangle theyarns and thereafter re-threaded the same.

In commercial mill practices, it is not uncommon to have toshut down amachine many times a day to untangle yarns which have become 1,906,204,issued April 5, 1932, and April25, l933, respectively.

Inasmuch as the Scott andWillia ns circular knitting machine is wellknown and is completely described in the patents mentioned above, onlya'description ofthat portion of the machine necessary for anunderstanding of'the present invention will be made. I

The circular knitting machine of the type under considerationcustomarily includes a circular rotatable yarn bobbin stand I0 adaptedto be rotated at high speeds by. the ring gear I l which is fixed to'abobbin stand sleeve [2, the latter being rotatably journalled at {3 ontheirame work M of the machine. Aplurality ofsubstan'w tiallycylindrical yarn bobbins, only two of which are lshow'njat l5 and lfiarepivotally carried at 23 and24 about the entire'periphery of the bobbinstand it, the bobbins" being mounted in spaced relation and in ratherclose 'proximity't each twisted and entangled with each other betweenthe bobbins and the tensioning-devices. 'Time and laborto'untwist andre-threaded'yarns on a machine of this type is considerable, andv lossof production of the machine, together with labor costs, make yarntwisting and breaking a problem ofserious' financial proportions.

I 'iA'ccordingly,"the p'rinci cial object of the present invention is toprevent entanglement ofjyarns between bobbins and tensioning devices,particularly in a circular knitting machine.

-Anotherimportant object 'offthe invention is to prevent entanglement ofyarns between the.

other. A. yarn take-up bracket "is carried'above the bobbin'stand it} by'thebobbin stand shaft [8 and fixed thereto to revolve with the yarnbobbin stand l0; inasmuchas the bQbbin stand shaft l8 is also fixed'to'the bobbin standsleeve J12; A plurality of yarn take-ups ofthepivotediarm type such as" that shown "at H-i'are provided on theupper surface of the take-up bracket I1 to maintain tension on the yarnfed from the bobbins throughthe usual tension disk such as shown at l9;

' Secured to the underside of thetake-eup bracket 11 byza plurality ofangle brackets 20 and 2| in a'manner to extend beneath the bracket I1 isa circular thread guide ring 22. The angle brackets r '3 20 and 2| havesuitable threaded bolts 1 or attachment to the bracket IT. The verticalportions of the angle brackets are of sufficient length to permit thering 22 to be positioned just above the top portions of the yarn bobbinsI5 and I6, as shown. The thread guide ring 22 is more clearly shown,ln,,Fig. ,2 of the drawing andis comprised of a-ring of suitablematerial such as metal, although the ring may, of course, be made ofother material such as plastic or the like. The thread guide ring 22 mayhave a median diameter equal to the diameter of rotatable yarn bobbinstand at the pivot points of the bobbins suohfis shown at 23 and 24 (seeFig. 1). The ring 22 is provided with a plurality of openings 23,-onefor each bobbin, and preferably located to -be posi-,

tioned just above and in alignment with each bobbin ,when installed onthe machine. Theplan viewer Fig-.2 of the d aw ng is. a'v ew oftheunderside of the .ring '22 and shows how the edgesof theopenings 23,preferably circular, are bevelled inward .of the opening asindicatedat2,4, .Ihebevelliheoi the open ngs p e ents wear r dama e to the yarn asthe same is drawn therethrough. I A more -important function of t ebeveljpo tion 24 of the openin s-231s ,topermit theapp cation of thebobbins ..to themachmQ A .W l berwtedin Fla 1 of thedrawines, th rring2.2 is positioned just above the end of the bobbins. When his desired tov,removea bobbin. th bob in is raised within the opening. 23suflicientto permit clearance of .the bobbin at it .b ttomlportion withrelation to thebobbihspindle which is. shown. by the. dottedlinesonjFig. .1.- The, bobbin toberemovedmay then be tilted outward asper-r mittedlby the vel portion 24 and rem d'ir m themachine. IIIo applyanewfibobbin, the above procedure is simply reversed ,andit will benoted thatit .isnot necessa y to remove the r ng. 22 when applyingonremoving bobbins,

When a machine not utilizing thisinvention is in. operation, theyarn-bobbin stand '(andbobbins. mounted thereon) .isirotated at a highspeed, andtheindividualyarns will have a tendency o bowoutward y as heyleave .the bobbins. Wh n the yarns are beingdrawn from apointadja: centthe top of the bobbins, the distance iron; such,,poin,t tothe,tensioni'ng devices isrelatively short and the centrifugal jorce causedby the rotationis insufficient to, createlarge bows in the yarn andhencetheydo not spread outsufiiciently to become entan led with eachother. However, Whenthe yarn .is bei g pulledfromthe bobbins atlowerpoints, Darticularlyat points nearor at the bottom of .therbobbinsthedistancefromsuch points .to the tensioning devices becomes ,ma teriallygr ater, thus .resultingiin m re ya nlsusceptible .to ,centriiugal'forceand hence resulting inilarger bows. It is at such times during theoperation of ,the machine that ,one yarmmay bow ,sufliciently to becomeentangled with .an

adjacent yarn, particularly if .theadjacentyarn being removed from thebob n at orh rthe op thereoi, .andihence has only asmallbow therein. I

When utilizing applicantisinvention, the yarn bobbinista'nd In(andlhence the bobbinsmounted thereon) .is .rotatedata high speed in theusual ma ner. As the take-upbracket "is being rotated at the same speedas the stand l0 and as. the guidering 22 is bolted in fixedposition ontherbracketlLithen it follows. that thestand ll],

threaded through their respective openings 23 formed in the ring 22 andthence to their respective take-up l8. By positioning the ring closelyadjacent to the top portions of the bobbins, it is then substantiallymidway between the lower portions of the bobbins and the take-ups l8.Hence, when yarn is being removed from the bobbins at or near the bottomthereof, the ring 22 will prevent the free yarn from bowing out- Wardlyas the axis of the yarn openings in the ,,ring i s in alignment with itsrespective bobbin.

Accordingly, the yarns can never bow outwardly ,to a ly greater extentthan they would normally bow when they are being removed from theirbobbins at points adjacent to the top of the bobbins. As previouslymentioned, the extent of the bowing between the top portion of thebobbins and the talse-upsislnsuiiicient to cause entangl mentofi eyarnsai 1 llclaim: .1.,In .a ci cular knittingma hine, a rotatable yarn.vbobbin stand, a lurality of sub ant ally cylindrical y rbobbinsmountedverticall and b d l t onlonsaid standsin s b a tially crcular formation, a yarn take-up br cket po iti ned bove said stand, athread. guideline means ,for mounting said ring ,on saidibrachet so as opo ition th same benea hisaid bracliet and in clos proximity tovthelupper portionsor said, ob ins, said ring having, a plurality ocircularopening-s therein, .said openings being of a size to pormitlhtleasta portion of theflbobbih to be insertedlthereihwhen it-isd si dto.riemore the bobbin from lmachine, c hobeh ns be n in substantially ver ial ali nm nt with ea hoi id bo ns, so that the y rnbeingd awnirom ach inw llpass t r ugh ts respectiveeopen i is i sa d ringto said ta e-lipbracket.

2. a c rcular knitt ng mac ine, a r table yarn bobbin stand, a pluralityoj'substantially cylindrical yarn bobbinsrnounted vertically and inspaced relation. on Saidstand in substantially circular formation, a-yarn takc-llp-bl'acket positioned above said stand, a thread guidering, means for mounting said ring on ,said bracket so astorb t on thesame benea h said bracket and in closeproxi yto the upper portions ofsaid bobbiI $,.said ringhaving a plurality of ,cirs cular openingstherein, said op nings being .oia size to pe itia l ast a porti n. ofthe-bobbin to be inserted therein when it is desired-to remove he bobbini rom the m h ne, each op ng being in substantially vertical alignmentwith each ,of said bobbins, so that the yarn being drawn iromeach bobbinwill pass through its respective opening-insaidring to said takepracket, the u ders d zofeach of sai o nin s bein ,bevelledinwardoi t eopening.

EARNES'I II.- soon. i

CITED.

- UNITED STATES-PATENTS Number Name i [Date 586,315: iM lsilil-L-ms-ads-Jil y.l3rl3 1,805,440 ...Mincemoyerls,.iam 12, 119.312,099,178 :snyderlillwillmn icy.i6, .193 2, Q3,197 Laws/onset a1 l-;Dec..121 9i37 2,269,550 i..i on s,i. l. .ni.. Jan. 'lagiisriz 2,508,502D llrsmanet-al. i1. Mai/23,1959 2,522,211 :crawioruiwn.ent.:..1.2,-;19'5o 2,525,99 B ier bis ue-semi, \O t. .17,; 1. ,0

